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James III
James III & VIII '(James Francis Edward Henry Casimir John Xavier; born 18th November 1672) is the fifth monarch of Great Britain and Ireland from the House of Stuart, reigning since the death of his grandfather James II & VII. He came to the throne at the young age of fifteen, due to his father having predeceased his grandfather. His grandmother, the Dowager Queen Maria Luisa of Spain, acted as Regent of the Kingdom during the first eleven months of his reign, until he reached the age of sixteen. He currently rules as a ''King-in-Council, ruling with the direct advice of his privy council due to his youth and inexperience. His grandmother has further been an influential force in the ruling of the nation during his reign. James has been best known so far for his endeavours in fashion and architecture, adopting more French and other European styles in clothing and buildings. Early Life (1672 - 1688) '''Birth and Baptism James Francis Edward Henry Casimir John Xavier Stuart was born on November 18th, 1672 at St. James's Palace. He was the eldest surviving child of Charles William, Prince of Wales and his wife, Marie Anne d'Orléans. His father was the heir to the throne of Great Britain, as the eldest surviving son of James II & VII. His mother was the daughter of Gaston de France, Duc d'Orléans - the younger son of Henri IV, King of France and Navarre, and his second wife, Marguerite de Lorraine. Gaston de France had been one of the wealthiest men in Europe, as well as a French prince, so the match between his daughter and the Prince of Wales was seen as prestigious. His mother, therefore, was the first cousin of Louis XIV of France. From birth, Prince James was expected to one day inherit the throne of Great Britain, as the eldest son of the Prince and Princess of Wales. He was called His Royal Highness, Prince James Francis of Wales ''from birth. He was baptised two days after his birth. His parents chose the names ''James Francis Edward Henry Casimir John Xavier, keeping in line with the naming tradition of seven names began with his grandfather, James II & VII. He was named James in honour of his numerous royal ancestors holding that name; Francis in honour of St. Francis of Assisi; Edward in honour of the numerous English kings known by that name; Henry also in honour of numerous English kings; Casimir in honour of his Polish ancestors; John also in honour of a previous English king; and Xavier in honour of St. Francis Xavier. The ceremony itself was a large and grandiose one attended by his grandfather's whole court, as well as by foreign dignitaries. The baptism itself was performed by Edward Hastings, Cardinal-Archbishop of Canterbury. His godparents were his mother's first cousin, Louis XIV, King of France and Marie-Thérèse d'Autriche, Queen of France. Early Years He was primarily raised at his father's newly acquired residence, Kensington Palace. WIP Character Synopsis Appearance James was considered to be handsome, favouring his French mother in appearance, therefore having many features seen in the House of Bourbon. He possessed naturally dark brown hair and matching brown eyes. He had a fair complexion, somewhat pale like his father. He also had a rather large nose, inherited from his father and shared by James II & VII. He was tall and well-built for his age, standing around 5'10''. He had well-defined features as well as broad shoulders, which gave him a powerful looking physique. He was similar in build to many of his Stuart ancestors, larger than most of his contemporaries and his French relatives. Despite this, he had a slight discrepancy in the length of his arms - his right arm being 3 inches longer than his left. His left arm was also slightly withered compared to his right. This was believed to have been caused by a birth defect, though no answer was properly reached as to the cause of the discrepancy. This was considered a minor inconvenience at best, though it could occasionally cause pain when having to reach for something, write, or other such activities. Personality WIP Ancestry Titles, Styles and Honours Titles and Styles * 18th November 1672 - 15th June 1682: ''His Royal Highness, Prince James Francis of Wales'' * 15th June 1682 - 23rd August 1685: ''His Royal Highness, the Duke of Cambridge'' * 23rd August 1685 - 12th September 1685: ''His Royal Highness, the Duke of Cornwall and Rothesay'' * 12th September 1685 - 3rd January 1688: ''His Royal Highness, the Prince of Wales'' * 3rd January 1688 - Present: ''His Majesty, the King'' The official style of James in England was "James the Third, by the Grace of God, King of England, Scotland, France and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, etc." His official style in Scotland was "James the Eighth, by the Grace of God, King of Scotland, England, France and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, etc." Honours * Sovereign of the Most Noble Order of the Garter * Sovereign of the Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle * Sovereign of the Most Illustrious Order of Saint Patrick * Sovereign of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath * Sovereign of the Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George * Knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece (Spain) * Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Holy Spirit (France) * Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St. Michael (France) * Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St. Louis (France) * Knight of the Order of the Golden Spur (The Papacy) * Knight of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George * Knight of the Order of St. Stephen (Tuscany) Category:House of Stuart Category:British Monarchs Category:17th Century Births Category:Roman Catholics Category:Order of the Garter Category:Royal Family